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Hey forum friends! Just got myself a 1980 Dolphin with the dually and tag axle, with 84,000 miles. I'm very excited, as it's my first Toyota Motorhome, and my second Toyota truck (I have a 94 pickup with the 22re, which I just rebuilt). I have some questions that maybe y'all could help me out with. First, this appears to be one with a recall axle (has the 5 lug extra deep rim with two wheels on it). I'm assuming I should replace it. Any advice on how to go about either replacing or getting it replaced? Do both the dually and the tag axle need to be replaced, or just the dually? Does National RV still honor the recall? If not I would do it myself, but I'd need to know what axles would work for a replacement. I've heard that axles from the v6 4runner work, is that true? Second, the roof is in need of repair, specifically in the back corner by the kitchen. At one point someone scabbed some boards up and replaced the ceiling panels with some white plastic/fiberglass sheet material. It's alright, but the sheets have started to bubble a bit with time. I'd rather see some nicer paneling. I was thinking I might redo the whole roof by peeling back the tin and reframing it, as I've done it before on a 77 dodge honey motorhome. It was a big project, and a learning experience, lol, but in the end I was so happy to have done it the right way! So my question is, has anyone taken this on in a dolphin? Any advice? Looks like I'd have to peel the tin back from the middle of the cabover window to the back of the back window. Looks like the OEM materials used are not much, 1x2" for framing and 1/8"-1/4" ply for sheathing, not much eh? Are you even supposed to store anything on top ever? They have the rails but I'm skeptical... Last question, anyone know where to source other parts? Specifically I'm looking for the outside vent door for the fridge. I'll put up some pics later when I get a chance. It's already a great rig, all the systems work and run great, a little wear on the upholstery, 20r runs great, but I'd like to do a nice restore and have everything excellent. Any help is appreciated! Thank you Steven

hello, hello, all! It is just to get the ball rolling on my blogging this stuff. Here I am in New York having arrived with an almost Frozen clutch thanks to the traffic before George Washington Bridge for an hour in first gear to stop first gear to stop first gear to stop it was quite scary. I popped it into third from second though on the bridge and that seemed to reset everything, and I'm driving up with the first load of found objects to make the outer covering of a hobby horse. I have described this in my profile. Is also clearing out my apartment which is thrilling. The clutch thing though is a big deal and I will have to replace the clutch and I don't trust myself to do all of that work, so while someone else is replacing the clutch I will replace the fuel lines and the fuel pump and clean out the fuel tank find the connection to the left brake light, and then steam clean the whole undercarriage. That is the plan, anyway This is all new for me because I am a person who always had mechanic work done for me as a kid. Now being poor enough to not afford that, but desirous of the vehicle makes me adapt, and hopefully improve my brain as a way to Stave off dementia! I'm also planning on doing the breaks because there is a weird light going on when the emergency brake is completely off. I check the brake fluid it's full I definitely need to get new vents, and the internal support for the fiberglass repair the plan is to make a quick carport for it upstate and then keep it out of the snow this winter as long as it is safely driveable which is the other reason I've been posting right now I would love advice about how to replace flooring if it's worth getting a new chassis since it's an 82, this is going to become a sculpture that would be nice if it had some morphing capability and since the inside has been torn up and is empty of supports it would be easy to build a novel set of supports. Step one is to get the clutch and all of that stuff replaced Pre Xmas update Thanks to the unexpected expense of a new alternator, that I should have known about because it started giving out before the clutch did, which I still have, by the way because it was an overheating issue, not a replacement issue. Anyway thanks to the alternator, I put aside any plans to go up and fix the skeleton which is going to be 3 by 4 beams and a suggested 2 by 4 with a 1 in Arc it. First I must repair the cracks in the top of the fiberglass and I'm still not entirely certain about how to do that there are a lot of different opinions here and the good news is that in the process of repairing the alternator I'd also killed the battery having ignored it for so long and now both are new and it would be hard to imagine what else could go wrong dear Jesus please let that not be a mistake to say... But the good news is that my brother Michael is coming out to visit for two weeks and he likes fixing stuff so I feel like if I get the fiberglass repaired he can fix all my mistakes and we will put the skeleton in together losing the alternator while almost on a Parkway, and then losing the battery while on the highway the next day after picking up the car, was something else so I'm so stressful that I can't tell but I feel like it is writing much better than it has before all the pieces of some beautiful Pine that I pictured here into what will first be the floor and then a set of benches that will open up to a platform bed right underneath the windows finishing these three things will make it possible to hop down to Florida for the winter! None of that until the roof is repaired however! Please advise in copious amounts!

Hi- this is my first post. I thought it was time for me to have a voice and share some of my projects. I've started and nearly finished (do you ever really finish?) a complete interior overhaul. I've had a blast dong it. Here's my address if you'd like to check it out. www.bealcamper.blogspot.com I would love to here what you guys have to say. Thanks-